Council bosses are urging more people to join the battle against Heathrow, claiming three quarters of Hounslow's residents could belong to 'minority groups'.

Cllr Barbara Reid, who is spearheading the council campaign against airport expansion, says under government guidelines up to 75 per cent of local people could be eligible for inclusion in a last-minute Equalities Impact Assessment survey.

She added: "The threatened expansion of Heathrow is an issue that unites people of all ages and backgrounds across the borough.

"However, the government has decided to run a new consultation focusing on equalities and that gives another chance for people to air their views."

The aim of this phase of the consultation is to assess whether expansion would have an unequal impact on 'minority groups' including schoolchildren, people who are older or disabled, and those on low incomes or from minority ethnic groups.

The consultation is particularly keen to hear from people living in the wards that would be most affected by expansion, including Bedfont, Cranford, Heston, Osterley, Spring Grove and central and west Hounslow.

For full details of the survey visit the government website at www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/open/heathroweqia.